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"Listen to me," he pleaded. "Ever since I first saw you I have adored you." He meant to say more, but he was not given the time in which to say it, for Lagardere came forth from his shelter beside the caravan and interrupted him. At the sight of Lagardere, Gabrielle gave a little cry and closed the window.
Evidently his voice was not recognized, evidently the lady took him for her lord, for she immediately went on speaking very low and clear, her words falling rapidly from above on the ears of the waiting Lagardere. "Do not speak, Louis," she said; "do not linger. I am watched; I fear danger. Take our dear Gabrielle."
"Gentlemen, stand aside!" she said, in a tone partly of entreaty, partly of command. At that moment Peyrolles came to her side and saluted her respectfully. "Do not be alarmed. We come from him." Gabrielle stared in amazement at the unfamiliar face. Peyrolles bent to her ear and whispered: "From Lagardere." Gabrielle gave a cry. "Ah! Where is he?"
So the young man mused swiftly, while Cocardasse told his tale; but ere Cocardasse had finished, Lagardere was back in the tavern again, and, when Cocardasse had finished, Lagardere caught him up: "Why not? Some actors are as honest as bandits. I was no bad mummer, sirs. I could counterfeit any one of you now so that your mother wouldn't know the cheat.
"What is going to happen to us?" "Wonderful things," Lagardere said, lightly "beautiful things. You shall know all about them soon enough." To himself he whispered: "Too soon for me." Then he addressed the girl again, blithely: "When I took you to Madrid you saw the color of the court, you heard the music of festivals. Did you not feel that you were made for such a life?"
When you go to the house you will wait till the girl is ready, and then you will escort her to the king's ball in the Palais Royal at midnight, and bring her into the presence of the king by the royal tent near the round pond of Diana." "I will do that same," said Cocardasse, cheerfully. "Never let her out of your sight at the ball," Lagardere insisted. "Devil a minute," Passepoil affirmed.
Madrid, I reasoned, is the centre of Spain; everyone in Spain comes to Madrid sooner or later; ergo, sooner or later Lagardere will come to Madrid." "Well, did he?" Peyrolles asked, forcing himself to give tongue, and eying the hunchback dubiously. He found Æsop too humorous for his fancy. Æsop grinned like a monkey whose nuts have been filched.
Cocardasse and Passepoil looked horrified at the hunchback's impertinence, but Lagardere did not seem to be vexed, and answered, quite amiably: "So did I till lately." Then he said, addressing himself generally to the company: "Have any of you ever heard of the thrust of Nevers?" A tremor of excitement ran through his audience. Cocardasse took up the talk: "We spoke of it but now."
Lagardere went on: "There was once a man, a soldier of fortune, an adventurous rogue, into whose hands a jesting destiny confided a great trust. That trust was the life of a child, of a girl, of a woman, whom it was his glory to defend for a while with his sword against many enemies." "I think he defended her very well," Gabrielle interrupted, gently. Lagardere held up a warning finger.
There was an awkward pause, and then Cocardasse suddenly spoke in a decisive tone. "Captain, you have no right to kill us," he growled, and Passepoil, nodding his long head, repeated his companion's phrase with Norman emphasis. Lagardere looked from one to the other of the pair, and there was a twinkle in his eyes that reassured them. "Are you scared, old knaves? No explanations; let me speak.
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